Archive for the ‘Press Releases’ Category

Lahore, April 04, 2017: The inauguration ceremony of the Coca-Cola sponsored, international standard Aquatic Center at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) took place on Tuesday, April 04, 2017. Mr. Brian Smith, President Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Group and Mr. Zoran Vucinic, President Middle East and North Africa (MENA) of Coca-Cola Company, the chief guests at the event, along with other members of the organisation’s team, were welcomed at LUMS by Syed Babar Ali, Pro-Chancellor, Prof. Dr. S. Sohail H. Naqvi, Vice Chancellor, and Abdul Razak Dawood, Rector of LUMS.

After the inaugural ceremony, the attendees visited the grand Aquatic Center, a first ever FINA (Fédération Internationale de Natation Amateur) approved indoor swimming facility, with an eight lane, 25-meter length, in a Pakistan based university.

Speaking at the occasion, Rizwan Ullah Khan, General Manager, The Coca-Cola Export Corporation, Pakistan and Afghanistan, said, “One of the most important pillars of Coca-Cola’s brand values includes the inculcation of an active lifestyle for our local communities. The establishment of Coca-Cola LUMS Aquatic Center is an example of how Corporate Partnerships like these can provide exponential benefits for the sustainability of our society.”

“We are proud that the Coca-Cola Aquatic Center will become certified for national and international water sports competitions and will serve as a centre stage for the University to develop teams for swimming, water polo and other aquatic sports. We are thankful to Coca-Cola for their support in establishing this facility,” commented Prof. Dr. S. Sohail H. Naqvi. The Aquatic Center will be operational this week and opening its doors to LUMS students, faculty, staff and alumni.

Coca-Cola has previously supported LUMS in a variety of ways which have included an Endowment Fund for the National Outreach Programme, to sponsor financially disadvantaged students. One such student, Sikander Wattoo, has gone on to graduate from the prestigious Carnegie Mellon University in USA, with the support of this Programme. The Coca-Cola Empower Lecture Series is also an initiative that has taken place at LUMS, aimed at empowering the youth of Pakistan through a series of lectures by inspiring speakers.

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Customers in all classes welcome Emirates’ laptop and tablet handling service on flights to US

Karachi / Dubai, U.A.E., 5 April 2017 – Emirates has introduced another service to mitigate the inconvenience of the recent ban on electronic devices on board US-bound flights. Beginning today, First and Business Class passengers will be able to borrow tablets on board Emirates’ US-bound flights allowing them to continue working during their flight.
The new service is in response to the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) directive which requires all passengers travelling on non-stop flights to the US from Dubai to check-in their laptops, tablets, and other personal electronic devices larger than a smart phone.

As part of this latest service, Emirates premium customers will have a Microsoft Surface tablets equipped with Microsoft Office 2016 available for loan on board. Customers can download their work on to a USB which can be brought on board and plugged into the devices to continue working seamlessly.

The service is complimentary and will be available on all non-stop flights from Dubai to Emirates’ US destinations.

For customers who prefer to stow away their personal devices and simply enjoy the award winning inflight entertainment and service on board, Emirates had introduced a laptop and tablet handling service for US-bound customers. This complimentary service has been made available to passengers in all cabin classes since 25 March 2017, which was when the new TSA rules took effect.

This service allows customers to retain and utilise their personal devices until just before they board their US-bound flights. Passengers must then declare and hand over their laptops, tablets, and other banned electronic devices to security staff at the boarding gate, who will pack and tag each device to be stored in the aircraft hold and returned to the customer at their US destination.

Watch a video on how Emirates’ handling service works.

To date, nearly 8,000 passengers have utilised Emirates’ laptop and tablet handling service on the airline’s 112 weekly non-stop flights departing Dubai International airport to cities in the USA. Emirates has received positive feedback from appreciative customers, and reports an even mix of Economy, Business and First class passengers utilising its laptop and tablet handling service.

These two new services by Emirates gives customers travelling to the US several options, such as: packing their electronic devices into their check-in baggage at their point of departure; the opportunity to use their laptops and tablet on their first leg of their journeys and during transit in Dubai, up to the moment they board their US-bound flight; and for premium customers the choice to continue working on loaned devices on board. Customers can stay connected in the air with mobile phone connectivity, in-seat telephones with SMS and email and live TV on most flights. Currently, over 85% of Emirates’ fleet of passenger aircraft is equipped with Wi-Fi on board.

The TSA directive does not apply to Emirates’ US-bound flights via Milan (EK205) and Athens (EK209). It also does not impact flights departing from the US, or Emirates’ flights to any other destination.

Emirates customers flying to the US can find out more about how the new TSA rules impact them at www.emirates.com/electronicsban.
Emirates serves 12 US airports with passenger flights – Newark (EWR), Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Orlando (MCO), Chicago (ORD), Boston (BOS), San Francisco (SFO), Los Angeles (LAX), Seattle (SEA), Dallas (DFW), Houston (IAH), Washington (IAD) and New York (JFK).

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Karachi / SEOUL, April 05, 2017:- For the third consecutive year, the newest TV models from LG Electronics (LG) have been designated Netflix Recommended TVs by the global internet TV company that popularized streaming. The evaluation program recognizes TVs that deliver excellent Netflix performance and superb viewing experience.

LG’s TVs passed a strict evaluation process based on factors that matter most to consumers, such as ease of access and speedy performance, thanks in great part to LG’s acclaimed webOS 3.5 smart TV platform. For the first time, LG’s 2017 UHD models include a dedicated Netflix button on the remote control, enabling users to both turn on the TV and launch Netflix with the press of a single button. LG’s newest TVs feature the latest version of Netflix that allows easy access to the service directly from the home screen.

LG’s 2017 TVs are equipped with 4K HDR technology allowing Netflix’s titles in 4K and HDR to stream superb picture quality with greater definition and more accurate colors with higher range. Titles including the entire Marvel series on Netflix, such as the recently launched Marvel’s Iron Fist and other popular series such as The OA and Chef’s Table, can now be viewed with incredible clarity. LG has ensured that its entire 2017 lineup of premium TVs support the full palette of HDR formats with Active HDR to render brighter scenes and greater shadow details when displaying HDR contents, including Dolby Vision, HDR10 and HLG.

“It goes without saying that we are incredibly proud that our 2017 TVs are once again being recognized as Netflix Recommended TVs,” said Brian Kwon, president of the LG Electronics Home Entertainment Company. “Because of such recognition, we will continue to find ways to give smart TV owners faster, easier access to 4K HDR content and a more enjoyable viewing experience from our TVs.”

“LG has been an industry leader in delivering excellent Netflix access and performance on their Smart TVs,” said Scott Mirer, vice president, Device Partner Ecosystem at Netflix. “The Netflix Recommended TVs in LG’s 2017 lineup continue that leadership, and provide our members with an even better Netflix experience.”

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Karachi April 06, 2017: Following its hearing of March 09, 2017 of a civil petition filed regarding the quality of packaged milk, the Supreme Court of Pakistan issued an Order in which it is stated that ‘As per the report submitted by PFA, the milk produced / packaged by Haleeb Foods Ltd., is fit for human consumption.’ The Order further states that “as we have directed in some other matters as well, we direct the analysis of the milk by SGS as per the law and procedure.” While such further testing by SGS is expected to be conducted in the summer, when milk quality is more prone to deterioration, Haleeb milk has already been tested before by SGS in December last, following malicious rumors spread by some quarters that it contained formalin, and the SGS test report of December declared the Haleeb milk sample tested to be formalin negative.

This rumor was based on a test report of PCSIR, whereas 2 other renowned laboratories of the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) and the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) had reported no formalin in Haleeb milk after their testing. The samples tested by all 3 laboratories were from the same batch, which thus meant that the results of 2 laboratories contradicted the result reported by PCSIR.

Haleeb therefore proceeded with further testing by renowned national and multinational labs, SGS Laboratory and Qarshi Laboratory, both of which found Haleeb milk to be free of formalin. And now this fact has been further confirmed by the Supreme Court Order, declaring Haleeb milk to be fit for human consumption.

“The Supreme Court Order clearly vindicates our position about the high quality of Haleeb milk, which we have maintained for over 30 years through stringent quality assurance procedures that are in line with national and international standards,” stated Haleeb Foods Chief Operating Officer, Haroon Lodhi.

He further clarified that Haleeb’s production processes are certified in accordance with ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management system, ISO 22000:2005 Food Safety Management system, ISO 14001 Environment Management system, and National certifications PS: 3733-2013 (PNAC Approved) Halal Foods Management System and Pakistan Standards Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) licensing (Product certified). More than 23 tests are done at the milk screening laboratory of the Haleeb plant in order to determine the quality of milk. Prior to this, 7 different tests are performed at raw milk collection points, with the raw milk being rejected if it fails any of these tests.

Lodhi regretted that earlier in the year a section of the media had irresponsibly spread the misleading news that Haleeb milk contained formalin, and as usual with speculative and controversial news, this reporting too had caught the public attention, causing doubt about the quality of Haleeb milk. However with the latest test reports submitted to the Supreme Court by the Punjab Food Authority (PFA), based on which the Order of the Supreme Court of March 9 was issued, declaring Haleeb milk fit for human consumption, the consumers have realized that false information was fed to them and they are reverting to their trusted brand of packaged milk.

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Karachi / SEOUL, April 10 , 2017:- SEOUL, Apr. 3, 2017 ― LG Electronics (LG) was a big winner at this year’s Red Dot Design Awards, earning an impressive 20 total Red Dot Awards for excellence in design, including two Best of the Best awards. The top Best of the Best awards were given to LG’s SIGNATURE OLED TV W and Smart InstaView refrigerator for their innovation and contribution to the design community. Red Dot is widely seen as one of the world’s three most influential design committees, along with the iF Design Awards and IDEA (International Design Excellence Awards).

The LG SIGNATURE OLED TV W features an awe-inspiring Picture-on-Wall design that takes the TV concept and turns it into a piece of art. The super thin minimal profile of the 65-inch W7 – less than 4mm thick when mounted on the wall – creates the illusion of the TV levitating in midair, making the viewing experience even more immersive. The LG SIGNATURE OLED TV W also recently received the 2017 iF Design Award, giving LG a diverse portfolio of award-winning products.

LG’s InstaView Door-in-Door™ refrigerator was recognized by Red Dot for successfully combining a beautiful appliance with interactive technology. The refrigerator features a 29-inch LCD touch display which instantly turns transparent with just two knocks, letting customers peer inside without opening the door. The Smart Tag menu allows users to add stickers and tags on the screen to indicate which foods are stored inside. Smart Tag also offers users the ability to input the expiration date of each item, so the refrigerator can issue reminders when foods near their expiration dates.

In addition to these two Best of the Best awards, LG received 18 additional honors from the Red Dot judges. LG SIGNATURE OLED TV, Gram laptop, V20 smartphone, LG Watch Style and Sports, TONE series wireless headsets and Minibeam projector were among the other LG products recognized for their outstanding design and technological innovation.

“Recognition such as these from an organization as respected as Red Dot is confirmation to us that LG is living up to our expectation as an industry leader in design,” said Noh Chang-ho, vice president and head of corporate design at LG Electronics. “We will continue to offer products that push the boundaries of design and technology, redefining consumers’ expectations and doing our best to set a higher standard for aesthetics.”

LG Electronics, along with other LG companies such as LG Display and LG Hausys, will be participating in Milano Design Week from April 4-9 to highlight the importance of design in consumers’ everyday lives.

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Emirates is most awarded airline with 5 wins including Best Airline in the World, Best Major Airline – Middle East & Africa, Best Economy Class, Best First Class and World’s Best Airlines – Top 10

Karachi /Dubai, April 11, 2017 – Emirates has been recognised as the Best Airline in the World in the inaugural TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice® Awards for Airlines. In addition to clinching the grand prize, the airline was the biggest winner with 4 other awards including Best Major Airline – Middle East & Africa, Best Economy Class, Best First Class and World’s Best Airlines – Top 10.

This is the first year TripAdvisor has introduced a category for airlines in its signature Travelers’ Choice® Awards. The awards highlight the world’s top carriers based on the quantity and quality of reviews and ratings for airlines worldwide gathered over a 12-month period.

Sir Tim Clark, President, Emirates Airline said: “We are honoured to be named the Best Airline in the World at the TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards for Airlines 2017. The fact that the awards are a result of unbiased reviews and feedback speaks to our commitment to deliver a superior travel experience for our customers. We want travellers to continue making Emirates their first choice whenever they think to travel. That is why we continue to invest in products and services across all classes, and why our service teams work hard and put their hearts into providing the very best experience for our customers both on board and on the ground every day.”

“We are proud to announce the inaugural Travelers’ Choice® Awards for airlines, to help travellers make the most well-informed air travel decisions, based on the experiences of the TripAdvisor community,” said Bryan Saltzburg, General Manager for TripAdvisor Flights. “It’s a high honour for Emirates to be recognised as the top airline in the world by the TripAdvisor community and speaks to their continued focus on delivering fantastic customer experiences.”

Emirates is the world’s largest international airline, with an extensive network that has grown to offer its customers a choice of 155 destinations in 83 countries across six continents. It operates one of the world’s youngest modern wide-body fleets, and is the first and only airline in the world to operate a fleet of all Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft for its passenger flights.

The airline recently announced a multi-million dollar cabin interiors upgrade programme including an enhanced Onboard Lounge for its flagship Airbus A380 aircraft which will make its debut in July. Emirates also recently underwent a product overhaul with a host of exclusive products introduced to its First and Business Class cabins. New additions include the world’s first moisturising lounge wear in First Class, luxury blankets, skincare from organic brand VOYA and a new range of amenity kits from Bulgari. In the last year, Emirates has also introduced several new products for customers travelling in Economy including the world’s first interactive amenity kits and sustainable blankets made from 100% recycled plastic bottles.

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Karachi, April 14, 2017: Speaker KPK Assembly, Asad Qaiser today performed the ground-breaking ceremony of an important link road extension from Badga village to Takail Chowk, in Swabi district of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa. He also inaugurated Solar PV Lighting Systems project in the village. Also present on the occasion were Wolfgang Moellers, Country Director, KfW and Qazi Azmat Isa, CEO PPAF. Co-financed by the Federal Republic of Germany through Kfw both projects have been implemented by PPAF in partnership with National Rural Support Programme (NRSP).

Situated at a distance of about 53 KM from the main Swabi city via Gadoon road the remote village of Badga is located in Gani Chatra union council and falls in Gadoon area of district Swabi. The Badga road is an important link road that connects the village to other villages of the union council and beyond to the rest of the country. Responding to the passion and commitment of the community regarding road leveling task on self-help basis the 7 km long link road has been constructed under the “Improvement of the Earthen Link Road” project of Livelihood Support & Promotion of Small Community Infrastructure Program (LACIP). PPAF has borne 85 percent of the project cost while the community has contributed 15 percent in the form of labor. The project is expected to directly benefit 2,450 residents of village Badga.

Speaker KPK Assembly, Asad Qaiser also inaugurated 47 kW solar power system offering clean energy, generated from solar photo-voltaic systems to the community, under the Phase I of Renewable Energy Programme. The project will provide uninterrupted electricity to 50 household of the area, benefitting 320 people directly in addition to ensuring electricity supply the girls and boys schools, community centers and a mosque.

Speaking at the occasion, Speaker KPK Assembly, Asad Qaiser said “It is a matter of pride for me to be a part of this ceremony today, where we are celebrating the outstanding achievements of compatriots who are living life in extreme poverty. Poverty is the greatest challenge of our country, and to overcome this we need strong conviction and great commitment. As both a resident and a representative of this area, I am truly grateful to PPAF, KfW and NRSP who came forward for the development of this backward area. I think this kind of solar energy project should be implemented in other areas too, particularly those where WAPDA services are not accessible and the government is willing to help in this regard”.

Wolfgang Moellers, Country Director, KfW said, “The inauguration shows good example of community work supported by PPAF and NRSP, and other partners. KfW has supported the access road and solar energy system in the village making efficient use of German tax revenue which serves as a moment of great pride for the nation considering the magnitude of innovation. Pakistan is a very resourceful country when it comes to renewable energy with ample sunshine being a very important factor apart from massive wind energy of the Southern region and plenty of water up North.”

The development of Hydropower & Renewable Energy (HRE) Phase-I Renewable energy programme under PPAF has so far supported the implementation of more than 1000 renewable energy (RE) projects of diverse types and various capacities in different parts of the country.

Further, as many as 96 Community Based Mini Grid Solar System with total installed capacity of 500 KW are planned to be implemented in remote and off-grid locations of Swabi, Karak and Lakki Marwat districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The produced electricity will not only be used for lightning purpose but small and mini enterprise will also be established. This will increase the household income, add value to local products and transform the lives of the marginalized.

The overall objective of the Livelihood Support & Promotion of Small Community Infrastructure Programme (LACIP) is the contribution to the improvement of general living conditions and quality life of poor population in the project region comprising 8 districts of Abottabad, Buner, Charsadda, Chitral, DI Khan, Haripur, Nowshera and Swabi in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The program aims to increase access to and sustainable utilization of social and economic infrastructure by the population of the project region. Increase employment and income opportunities, especially for the poor and strengthening local civil society and enhanced participation of the population in decision- making at the local level. Under this program 1,964 community physical infrastructure projects have been completed and 7,838 individuals have been provided productive assets and imparted related trainings.

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Karachi, April 14, 2017: Ufone is launching a football championship in Balochistan with the aim of providing aspiring footballers from the province the opportunity to prove their mettle and make a name for themselves. Balochistan is an important region for Ufone, as the brand enjoys popularity amongst the province’s youth. Balochistan happens to be home to a lot of talented people.

Ufone is set to launch Ufone Football Championship across four cities in Balochistan including Khuzdar, Chaman, Pashin and Quetta for schools, colleges, universities and clubs. Participating institutions will be given an opportunity to lock horns with each other and win the Ufone Football Cup.

Ufone brand ambassador and national football team star Fazal Mohammad will be participating in the tournament. He will be a source of inspiration for the rest of the emerging footballers who can look at Fazal’s rise and push on to achieve their teams.

This football championship is a continuation of Ufone’s efforts to provide platform to youth. The tournament will serve as a great opportunity for young and budding footballers from Balochistan who, despite their immense talents, are not able to achieve their dreams because of a lack of adequate opportunities. Ufone aims to provide a platform to these young footballers so they can showcase their talent and make their way to bigger and better career prospects. The tournament is expected to be extensively covered in local media, thus providing the much needed exposure to the playing teams.

“Ufone firmly believes that there is no lack of talent in Pakistan and wants to play its role in identifying potential and providing a platform to nurture it,” said Adnan Anjum Head of Marketing Ufone. “Football is extremely popular in Balochistan and we are excited to see the province’s talent compete against each other. Who knows we might produce the next big footballer out of this tournament who could go on and make a name for the country!”

The championship will have a qualifying round where multiple teams from each city will play each other to win the chance to represent their city. The eight winners of the qualifying round will compete each other in the quarter-finals. In the next round, the winning team from each of the four cities will play their semi-final games. The winners will then get a chance to impress football professionals in a high profile final match and win the grand trophy.

The tournament kicks off from April 17, 2017 and the final exhibition match will be held on May 04, 2017 in Quetta.

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KARACHI, April 17, 2017: The annual WWF Nature Carnival, supported by Tetra Pak, world’s leading food processing and packaging company, was held on Sunday at the Pakistan Maritime Museum where thousands of people flocked to enjoy the colourful and informative event. The event aims to promote environmental awareness among the civil society and school children as many government and private schools regularly participate in the various activities organised during the event.

The theme of the Tetra Pak stand at the carnival was ‘Green Pledge’, urging students and families to take a pledge to create a better environment through little actions in day-to-day life.

Tetra Pak’s stand featured a range of furniture products made from recycled Used Beverage Cartons (UBCs) by its recycling partner, Green Earth Recycling.

A documentary, Recycling for a Better Future, which showed the whole process of how empty milk and juice cartons are being collected and recycled in Pakistan, was screened for the visitors who were offered decorative pins as a mark of commitment to their Green Pledge.

“Consumers in Pakistan and globally describe recycling of used packages as their most important environmental activity and our customers see recyclable products as an increasingly important competitive advantage. No wonder such platforms help us create deeper recycling consumer awareness among students and families,” remarks Jawad Ahmed, Environment Manager, Tetra Pak Pakistan.
Speaking on the occasion, Rab Nawaz, Senior Director Programmes said that the Nature Carnival is an awareness raising event, which has become a permanent feature of Pakistan’s major schools across Pakistan.

“The carnival aims at changing attitudes of the masses to become environment friendly for a sustainable future. The carnival has brought about a visible change in the mindset of individuals across the county, which is reflected in students’ efforts and understanding of environmental concepts. He urged that spreading environmental awareness among youth is need of the hour and concerted efforts are required in this regard,” added Rab Nawaz.

The event was attended by over 5000 people from all walks of life, mostly families, students, teachers and others who were engaged in various fun-filled competitions, 3D model making, art competition, games and other activities an art competition, quiz competition and an environmental quiz competition and many other environmental games in which winners were given prizes. The carnival also included a puppet show and live musical performance, which continued throughout the day with intervals.

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Karachi, April 19, 2017 – Hutchison Ports Pakistan, the country’s first deep-water container terminal, has received the first call of the Hyundai Splendour, the largest container ship to have ever visited the terminal.

During the 8,600-TEU vessel’s stay, the terminal set a new productivity record for Karachi, handling 3,191 moves in just over 23 hours, or 140.18 moves per hour. A¬¬ total of 4,296 TEUs were handled.

The terminal operator broke its own previous record of 129 container moves per hour, achieved during the call of the 6,200 TEU MSC Lucy on 17 January 2017. The port has already broken its productivity record twice since starting test operations on 9 December 2016.

“We are happy with the way things are progressing at the terminal,” said CEO Captain Rashid Jamil. “This ship marks the beginning of a new era for mega vessels calling at Pakistan. We have broken our own previous productivity record within a short span of time which shows that we are succeeding in bringing the efficiencies we had aimed for. We will continue to do so in the future as well.”